Changes

'''Overmixing the total mixed ration''': If the total mixed ration is mixed too much in the mixer wagon, the long fibre will be broken into shorter pieces and hence become less effective. This can be overcome by adding the forage into the mixer wagon last, ensuring minimal degradation.

'''Overmixing the total mixed ration''': If the total mixed ration is mixed too much in the mixer wagon, the long fibre will be broken into shorter pieces and hence become less effective. This can be overcome by adding the forage into the mixer wagon last, ensuring minimal degradation.

Excessive feeding of starches and sugars

'''High proportions of starches and sugars in the diet''': Dairy farmers often include large amounts of rapidly fermentable carbohydrates in the diet in order to meet energy requirements and maintain body condition score and milk production. These carbohydrates can take the form of grain, concentrates or maize silage. However, rapid fermentation leads to over-production of volatile fatty acids, and thus subacute rumenal acidosis. This actually makes digestion less effective, so the cattle do not benefit as much as the should do from the extra sources of metabolisable energy. A vicious cycle can ensue of poorer performance and supplementary feeding of concentrates.

a rich source of starches and sugars and this property,

frequently implicated as a factor in the development of

SARA. A common scenario is for a farmer and his advisors

to counter poor yields or an excessive loss of body

condition score during early lactation by feeding additional

concentrates in order to supply additional energy.

However, often the problem is one of SARA, and feeding

additional energy actually makes the situation worse

observed, probably as a result of small intestinal carbohydrate

digestion.

'''Poor dry cow management''':

'''Poor dry cow management''':